This question came up yesterday after our gaming session--an argument between our DM and a player who had just rolled up a warlock and was plotting what feats to take as he advances.
Can the "point blank shot" feat tree be used to enhance magical ray attacks? The PHB specifically states that Weapon Focus can be used with "ray," but does not mention whether Point Blank Shot, Far Shot, Precise Shot, etc. work with magical ray attacks. DM argued against--but I'm not certain I agree. DM feels ranged touch attacks are already easy enough and don't need feats to boost accuracy. (Far Shot may be problematic because ranged touch attacks don't have range increments, and multishot is obviously problematic for everything besides regular bows (plus IIRC there's a feat somewhere for splitting rays). However, I don't see any reason why a spellcaster couldn't practice enough to get better at close-up shots or shooting into melee or shooting off rays while he's moving or riding a horse.
The DM is always right, but since I DM as well as play, I'd like to have a good answer for this question. Any considered opinions on this?
I am also a GM (Basic & Forgotten Realms since 1979 - now almost exclusively in Eberron) so I understand your idea about the use of feats affecting spells. Since the v3.5 rules came out I have looked at the range attack feats for this exact reason. In my campaign, i have a "house rule" which my players accepted with almost no disagreement. The Weapon Focus feat does say it can apply to 'Rays' and if you look in the Complete Arcane at the Range Spell Specialization which lists as a prerequisite 'Range Spell Focus' (not Weapon Focus - Ray Spells), I decided that the Range Attack Feats which are normally used for mundane range weapons can be used for ranged attack & ranged touch attack spells, as long as the caster takes the "Weapon Focus-Ranged Spell" feat. this is different from the Player Handbook feat and I can only find it mentioned in the Arcane feat mentioned above, but it seems like a fair way to allow the use but with a higher cost to offset the extra bonus. Just like the flaws usage, I feel that all 'additional' benefits need to be balanced by a 'cost'. Hope this helps...
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Can the "point blank shot" feat tree be used to enhance magical ray attacks? The PHB specifically states that Weapon Focus can be used with "ray," but does not mention whether Point Blank Shot, Far Shot, Precise Shot, etc. work with magical ray attacks. DM argued against--but I'm not certain I agree. DM feels ranged touch attacks are already easy enough and don't need feats to boost accuracy. (Far Shot may be problematic because ranged touch attacks don't have range increments, and multishot is obviously problematic for everything besides regular bows (plus IIRC there's a feat somewhere for splitting rays). However, I don't see any reason why a spellcaster couldn't practice enough to get better at close-up shots or shooting into melee or shooting off rays while he's moving or riding a horse.The DM is always right, but since I DM as well as play, I'd like to have a good answer for this question. Any considered opinions on this?
This question came up yesterday after our gaming session--an argument between our DM and a player who had just rolled up a warlock and was plotting what feats to take as he advances.
Can the "point blank shot" feat tree be used to enhance magical ray attacks? The PHB specifically states that Weapon Focus can be used with "ray," but does not mention whether Point Blank Shot, Far Shot, Precise Shot, etc. work with magical ray attacks. DM argued against--but I'm not certain I agree. DM feels ranged touch attacks are already easy enough and don't need feats to boost accuracy. (Far Shot may be problematic because ranged touch attacks don't have range increments, and multishot is obviously problematic for everything besides regular bows (plus IIRC there's a feat somewhere for splitting rays). However, I don't see any reason why a spellcaster couldn't practice enough to get better at close-up shots or shooting into melee or shooting off rays while he's moving or riding a horse.
The DM is always right, but since I DM as well as play, I'd like to have a good answer for this question. Any considered opinions on this?
p. 175 of the PH says "you aim a ray as if using a ranged weapon"
p. 98 under PBS says "Benefit: you get a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons at ranges of up to 30 feet"I allow ranged weapon feats to apply to all ranged weapons, including rays. Precise Shot is pretty much a necessity for a ray user. However, after seeing the warlock in a couple of games, I don't think I'll allow them.
See Complete Arcane, especially page 71-73. A warlock's eldritch blast is a ray, and Precise Shot, Point Blank Shot, Weapon Focus (ray), Improved Critical (ray), etc all apply.
You can't use Far Shot because rays have a maximum range and no range increments. You can't use Multishot because ray spells don't produce ammunition, they produce a single effect. Just use logic.
However, after seeing the warlock in a couple of games, I don't think I'll allow them.
Are you referring to the Warlock's eldritch blast? Do you feel it's already powerful enough as is?
See Complete Arcane, especially page 71-73. A warlock's eldritch blast is a ray, and Precise Shot, Point Blank Shot, Weapon Focus (ray), Improved Critical (ray), etc all apply.
You can't use Far Shot because rays have a maximum range and no range increments. You can't use Multishot because ray spells don't produce ammunition, they produce a single effect. Just use logic.
Thanks--my ideas about this concur with yours. I don't have Complete Arcane, but the DM in question does--I'll have a look at pp. 71-73 next game day.
Are you referring to the Warlock's eldritch blast? Do you feel it's already powerful enough as is?
Not exactly. I saw some combos that I don't think the designers took into consideration. I think they expected the use of the PBS feat tree. I don't think they expected a warlock to multiclass as a scout, fly ten feet each round, and do excessive damage. Or I don't think they thought about the Spell-Like ability enhancing feats from Book of Vile Darkness, like Mortalbane.
As Complete Arcane says, the following feats from the Player's Handbook can be used for any spell which requires a ranged touch attack:
Hence, you can't use the following feats with a ray:
The following feats, although not stated, I would technically allow, although they're mostly impossible without multiclassing:
The following feats, although not stated, I would technically allow, although they're mostly impossible without multiclassing:
Weapon Specialization - needs four fighter levels
Greater Weapon Focus - needs eight fighter levels
Greater Weapon Specialization - needs twelve fighter levels
Improved Precise Shot - needs +11 base attack
I think that Complete Arcane has versions of Weapon Specialization that are for wizards specializing in spells anyway - ie: once they've taken weapon focus (touch spells) they can take touch spell specialization at wizard level 4.